In a candid interview, Wes Streeting, the UK’s Health Secretary, has defended the government’s latest asylum policy while acknowledging his discomfort with the prospect of forcibly removing families with young children from the country.
One key aspect of the new plan is to increase the number of deportations involving children, with the Home Office stating that there has been too much “hesitancy” in this regard in the past. When asked by LBC whether he would be comfortable with families with young children being forcibly removed, Streeting admitted that while he supports the policy of forced removals, as he believes there is no point in having a policy that is not enforced, he is not entirely at ease with the idea.
“Honestly? Comfortable? No. But is it the right thing to do for the country? Yes,” Streeting said, highlighting the difficult balance between implementing a robust immigration policy and the ethical concerns surrounding the deportation of families with children.
The Health Secretary emphasised that the new policy also involves encouraging people to leave the country voluntarily, and he expects the number of forced removals to be “low.” He argued that the government’s previous approach had contributed to the current “mess” on asylum and immigration issues, and that a more assertive stance is necessary.
“What I can’t do is sit here and say that, if there’s a new immigration policy, it won’t be enforced because – to be honest – that is a big part of the reason why the country’s in the mess that it’s in on asylum and immigration,” Streeting said.
The government’s proposed changes to the asylum system have been met with criticism from human rights groups and opposition parties, who argue that the measures could further endanger vulnerable individuals and families seeking refuge in the UK. However, the Health Secretary’s comments suggest that the government is determined to push ahead with its controversial plans, despite the ethical dilemmas they present.
